Lovers of poetry will love 'A Shropshire Lad'

Goran Zdravkovic (left), David Fox and Rebecca Burroughs are part of the… (EMILY ROBSON, THE MORNING…)

March 28, 2014|By Kathy Lauer-Williams, Of The Morning Call

Crowded Kitchen Players have taken a collection of 19th century poems and brought them to life in a Welsh pub where a melancholy poet sits writing by himself, surrounded by exuberant life.

"A Shropshire Lad," a cycle of 63 poems written by A.E. Hausman, represented a challenge for the company and director Ara Barlieb since the poems do not form a narrative, although they do have common themes.

To solve that, the characters — a variety of people from all walks of life — spending the evening carousing at a bar, speak the poetic verse aloud as if talking among themselves, interspersed with dancing and singing.

The framing device allows us to experience Houseman's evocative words and works best with some of Houseman's most compelling verses that deal with death, a frequent thread.

As the poet, Terence Hearsay, played by Goran Zdravkovic, broods, he tosses away crumpled poems which are picked up and read aloud by his fellow patrons. The performers make a point of speaking the verse in a somewhat conversational way, pausing at points.

The performance is well enhanced with Welsh music and dancing, collected by Rebecca Burroughs and choreographed by Sarah Thomas. Particularly rousing is a round of "God Save the Queen" and a stirring rendition of Welsh folk song "Ar Hyd y Nos."

Dialect coach Sharon Ferry has ensured the cast all speak with the proper Welsh brogue.

The cast of 16 fills the stage with energy as the assortment of farmers, barmaids, soldiers, widows, lovers, murderers, constables, drunks and ghosts attempt to draw Terrence into the festivities.

The set successfully evokes a cozy, crowded pub with sturdy bars and pewter mugs and floating doors to give an enclosed feel.

Houseman's best known verse, "When I was One-and-Twenty", is given expressive meaning by a young women, made wise by life. "Is my team ploughing," is especially poignant as the hollow-eyed dead man watches his friend and girlfriend from beyond the grave.

Another scene in which a man threatens the bar patrons with a pistol and is ultimately arrested adds some excitement. And verses which address soldiers and likely deadly outcome of the war that is waging are also compelling.

And as it should, the plays ends with bartender ringing the bell for last call, as the cast, with Terrence in tow, slowly files out.

The entire show moves briskly and is only about 1 hour and 20 minutes long, with an intermission.